Judith Habicht-Mauche, UCSC, Spring 2005 REMEMBER UNIT 4 QUIZ THIS WEEK Available Tuesday 3:00 pm...
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Transcript of Judith Habicht-Mauche, UCSC, Spring 2005 REMEMBER UNIT 4 QUIZ THIS WEEK Available Tuesday 3:00 pm...
Judith Habicht-Mauche, UCSC, Spring 2005
REMEMBERREMEMBER
UNIT 4 QUIZ THIS WEEKUNIT 4 QUIZ THIS WEEK
Available Tuesday 3:00 pm through Available Tuesday 3:00 pm through Friday midnight. Friday midnight.
Judith Habicht-Mauche, UCSC, Spring 2005
Gravestone Seriation ReportsGravestone Seriation Reports
Due is Sections this Week.Due is Sections this Week.
Judith Habicht-Mauche, UCSC, Spring 2005
Check Book Review Check Book Review Assignment Lists Assignment Lists in Section Roomin Section Room
You MUST read the book that you You MUST read the book that you have been assignedhave been assigned
Also pick up set of reading and writing prompts in Section Room
Judith Habicht-Mauche, UCSC, Spring 2005
ExcavationExcavation““Archaeologists murder their informants Archaeologists murder their informants
when they question them”~when they question them”~K. FlanneryK. Flannery
Control location of artifacts and features in Control location of artifacts and features in three dimensionsthree dimensions (x,y,z coordinates) (x,y,z coordinates)Grid SystemGrid System--controls x, y coordinates--controls x, y coordinatesDatumDatum--fixed elevation--fixed elevation
Old Technology:Old Technology: tape measure, plum bob, tape measure, plum bob, pencil and graph paperpencil and graph paper
New Technology:New Technology: GPS, TMS, etc. GPS, TMS, etc.
Judith Habicht-Mauche, UCSC, Spring 2005
Excavation Strategies (1)Excavation Strategies (1) Vertical Pits or TrenchesVertical Pits or Trenches
Diachronic:Diachronic: examines examines changes through timechanges through time
Example: Pajarito Project, NM Example: Pajarito Project, NM (1982)(1982)
Three single component sites from different temporal periodsVertical test pits (“telephone booths”) in middensFlotation samples taken from each arbitrary 10 cm level
Early Coalition Period
Late Coalition Period
Judith Habicht-Mauche, UCSC, Spring 2005
Excavation Strategies (2)Excavation Strategies (2)
Open Area/Horizontal ExcavationsOpen Area/Horizontal ExcavationsSynchronic:Synchronic: snapshot of snapshot of
activities and associations at activities and associations at one point in timeone point in time
Example: Duncan Site, OK Example: Duncan Site, OK (1984)(1984)
Single component, short term, seasonal occupationRemove plow zone to reveal features (pits, posts, hearths)
Judith Habicht-Mauche, UCSC, Spring 2005
Unit 4Unit 4RECOVERING & INTERPRETING RECOVERING & INTERPRETING
EVIDENCEEVIDENCE
Lecture 2: Lecture 2:
Site Formation Processes and Site Formation Processes and Middle Range ResearchMiddle Range Research
Judith Habicht-Mauche, UCSC, Spring 2005
Lewis Binford (1983)Lewis Binford (1983)
““The archaeological record is The archaeological record is contemporary; it exists with me contemporary; it exists with me today and any observation I today and any observation I make about it is a contemporary make about it is a contemporary observation.”observation.”
Judith Habicht-Mauche, UCSC, Spring 2005
How can we make inferences about How can we make inferences about the past based on observations in the past based on observations in the present?the present?
Archaeological Context:Archaeological Context:Static material record in the presentStatic material record in the present
Systemic Context:Systemic Context:Dynamic human actions in the pastDynamic human actions in the past
Need to establish bridging arguments (if-then statements) that link the dynamic actions of the past to their material correlates in the present.
Judith Habicht-Mauche, UCSC, Spring 2005
Site Formation ProcessesSite Formation Processes(Michael Schiffer)(Michael Schiffer)
Study of Study of how the archaeological record how the archaeological record is formedis formed
how things move, and are transformed how things move, and are transformed as they move, from as they move, from systemic contextssystemic contexts into into archaeological contexts.archaeological contexts.
Judith Habicht-Mauche, UCSC, Spring 2005
Cultural ProcessesCultural Processes
DepositionDepositionReclamationReclamation
Example: Stone Lion Shrine, New MexicoExample: Stone Lion Shrine, New Mexico
ReuseReuseDisturbanceDisturbance
Judith Habicht-Mauche, UCSC, Spring 2005
Non-Cultural ProcessesNon-Cultural Processes
Differential PreservationDifferential PreservationCatastrophic EventsCatastrophic Events
Examples: Pompeii, Cerén Examples: Pompeii, Cerén Natural DisturbanceNatural Disturbance
Patterns we recover archaeologically are not always a direct reflection of past human behavior.
Judith Habicht-Mauche, UCSC, Spring 2005
Middle Range ResearchMiddle Range Research
Body of Body of theory and practicetheory and practice that that attempts to attempts to bridge the gapbridge the gap between the between the dynamicsdynamics of of past human behaviorpast human behavior and and its its material consequencesmaterial consequences in the in the present.present.
Judith Habicht-Mauche, UCSC, Spring 2005
Middle Range Research is…Middle Range Research is…
ActualisticActualistic from Latin root from Latin root actuoactuo = present = present
based on based on Observation, Experiment, Observation, Experiment, AnalogyAnalogy
informed by informed by Uniformitarian Uniformitarian assumptionsassumptions
Same methods used by other sciences, like astronomy, geology, forensics
Judith Habicht-Mauche, UCSC, Spring 2005
Analogy & Uniformitarianism in Analogy & Uniformitarianism in Middle Range ResearchMiddle Range Research
The present
The past
experiment, ethnoarchaeology, etc.
Controlled comparison
Judith Habicht-Mauche, UCSC, Spring 2005
Middle Range Research and TruthMiddle Range Research and Truth
Archaeological stories are Archaeological stories are not “true” or not “true” or “false”“false”; not “right” or “wrong”.; not “right” or “wrong”.
But only But only “more or less convincing”“more or less convincing” (robust) based on the strength of the (robust) based on the strength of the observations, experiments, and observations, experiments, and analogies used to construct them.analogies used to construct them.
Judith Habicht-Mauche, UCSC, Spring 2005
Building Analogy through Building Analogy through Middle Range Research (1)Middle Range Research (1)
Ethnographic and Historic AnalogyEthnographic and Historic AnalogyDirect Ethnographic Analogy (“living Direct Ethnographic Analogy (“living
fossils”)fossils”)Direct Historical ApproachDirect Historical Approach
Example: A.V. Kidder at PecosExample: A.V. Kidder at Pecos
Judith Habicht-Mauche, UCSC, Spring 2005
Building Analogy through Building Analogy through Middle Range Research (2)Middle Range Research (2)
Ethnoarchaeology/Living ArchaeologyEthnoarchaeology/Living ArchaeologyEthnography done by archaeologists, Ethnography done by archaeologists,
directed toward answering very specific directed toward answering very specific middle range questions.middle range questions.Example: Lewis Binford among the Nunamiut Example: Lewis Binford among the Nunamiut
caribou hunters of Alaskacaribou hunters of Alaska
Judith Habicht-Mauche, UCSC, Spring 2005
Building Analogy through Building Analogy through Middle Range Research (3)Middle Range Research (3)
Experimental ArchaeologyExperimental ArchaeologyExample: Lawrence Keeley (1977)--stone Example: Lawrence Keeley (1977)--stone
tool replication and edge-wear analysistool replication and edge-wear analysisConfirmed and contradicted some common Confirmed and contradicted some common
assumptions about prehistoric stone tool use assumptions about prehistoric stone tool use based on formal attributes.based on formal attributes.
Judith Habicht-Mauche, UCSC, Spring 2005
Studies of Site Formation Processes Studies of Site Formation Processes and Middle Range Researchand Middle Range Research
One of the most important and lasting One of the most important and lasting contributions of “Processual contributions of “Processual Archaeology” (1960s-1980s).Archaeology” (1960s-1980s).
Made archaeologists more aware of the Made archaeologists more aware of the sources of potential bias in our analogic sources of potential bias in our analogic arguments.arguments.
Made archaeological interpretations Made archaeological interpretations stronger and more convincing.stronger and more convincing.